


Earth-2 #1

by Commander_Ferro



Series: Earth-2 [1]
Category: DCU (Comics)
Genre: Anal Sex, F/F, M/M, Oral Sex
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-25
Updated: 2018-09-25
Packaged: 2019-07-17 13:44:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,927
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16096841
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Commander_Ferro/pseuds/Commander_Ferro
Summary: Following the Crisis on Infinite Earths, heroes return: Superman of Earth-2, Lois Lane of Earth-2, Superboy of Earth-Prime and Alexander Luthor of Earth-3.  This is an AU that features an entirely different timeline.  Many of the characters featured are brand new, with a sprinkling of heroes and villains from Earth-2.





	Earth-2 #1

**Author's Note:**

> There are some instances of graphic m/m sex at the beginning. If that's not your thing, skip the first section.

“Don’t you think it’s ironic,” asked Hylas Trevor.  
Staring out the window, Hylas turned back to his lover and wrapped his arms around him. In some ways, Hylas and John Kent were a perfect match. They were both incredibly powerful, both had black hair and blue eyes, and neither had any desire to follow in the footsteps of their parents to become super-heroes. Fortunately for them, when Earth-2’s heroes vanished, their villainous counterparts went along with them. Sure, a few had resurfaced, but they were nothing the handful of heroes couldn’t handle.  
“What is,” John asked.  
“All this time - you the son of Superman and me the son of Wonder Woman. People always thought those two went together somehow. It never happened for them but it did for us. Mary and Arion, too. I just wish you had told me you were interested sooner. Bisexuality is something I can relate to.”  
John shrugged his shoulders, but gripped Hylas closer. “I was fine dating Lucinda Luft. She was nice. I wasn’t ready to let my parents in on this. Dad’s pretty conservative. Once they disappeared, I figured I could be more open. But I was with Lucinda until recently. I mean, after…”  
“Yeah. After. I just don’t know how you did it. I mean, no guy could ever fuck me. I would’ve crushed their dicks. And girls tended to find me too rough. Guys too I guess.”  
“Hylas, I didn’t have most of my powers growing up. Mary did, for whatever reason, but I was barely stronger than human. It’s been building up for years, though. I just never told anyone. I think I have more of a gentler touch because my dad did. He had to spend his whole life being careful, but he did it.”  
Hylas didn’t say much more, instead placing his lips on John’s nipple. He began to suck it while tweaking the other with his hand. The effect on John was instant as an erection protruded upward, tenting the sheet. John closed his eyes and moaned.  
Pulling Hylas off his chest, John drew him up to his mouth. They kissed long and hard and neither man had to show any restraint. They had never before had lovers who were strong enough to handle them if they didn’t hold back. It was good to be able to do so.  
Flipping Hylas onto his back, John slid down to Hylas’s hard cock and ran his tongue up the shaft. He held the foreskin between his teeth briefly before rolling it down. Then John engulfed Hylas. One thing John had discovered was that he had no gag reflex. Being invulnerable meant he couldn’t choke so no such reflex was necessary.  
As he slid up and down on Hylas’s dick, John slipped a finger up underneath and inserted it into Hylas’s ass. That produced a loud moan from his lover.  
John took things slow and easy. He didn’t want Hylas to cum too quickly. There was so much more they could do together. But eventually it happened. Hylas gushed a load of cum into John’s mouth and down his throat. John swallowed every last drop, milking Hylas’s cock to get it all. He just loved the taste of Hylas’s cum.  
“Now you gotta fuck me, baby.”  
Hylas smiled at John and reached onto the table for some lube. Lube always made it easier, especially since John hadn’t left any sperm behind to serve the purpose.  
Applying some to his own cock, Hylas then oiled up John’s ass. Once it was nice and greasy, Hylas turned him over and drove his dick right up John’s butt.  
The gasp from John made it seem like he was new to this. It wasn’t, but it had been years since it had been safe for any guy to try it with him.  
John began to moan his approval. He loved this feeling. Knowing what John liked, Hylas pounded hard inside with each stroke. Sometimes it was so powerful that they broke the bed.  
This went on for some time. Neither of them were worn out, but the feelings built up inside. Letting out a loud groan, John shot his load all over his chest, his face, and the headboard behind him.  
Hylas kept going, but John could see that he was getting close. Reaching down to grab John’s cock, Hylas reached a finger inside of John’s foreskin and scooped out some cum. He took a whiff of it before licking it off his fingers. As he did that, Hylas gasped and came inside of John.  
When he was done, Hylas remained inside of John. They both liked the feeling of Hylas’s cock softening inside of John’s ass. They fell asleep that way.

A loud shock woke John from his slumber. Hylas was still asleep, now next to John, so John interpreted that to mean that it wasn’t actual noise. More likely, it was something in the ether, something powerful, that had grabbed his attention. The odd thing was that John rarely picked up on these disturbances until they were pointed out to him. That meant it was either extremely powerful or somehow significant to him.  
Getting out of bed, John quickly got dressed and flew out the window. Up in the air, John focused his mystic senses. It didn’t take long to hone in on the disturbance, and John zoomed off in search of it.  
It didn’t take long to find. Whatever it was came from Metropolis. That wasn’t exactly his favorite place to go. Too many painful reminders of what he’d lost so long ago.  
As he drew closer, John could feel the malevolence emanating from the area. The thing that had entered this dimension was a creature of pure evil. It was also powerful - so powerful that John wondered why it hadn’t drawn Hylas, Ari, the Nelsons or any number of other mystic-oriented people. Instead it was just John - and, as he now saw, Mary.  
John flew over to his twin sister and floated next to her.  
“You felt it, too,” he asked.  
“Yes, but Ari didn’t. I guess not Hylas either.”  
“So it’s specific to us.”  
John and Mary were near-perfect reflections of one another, differing mostly by their sex. Yet, no one had ever accused them of being androgynous. That John was very masculine and Mary very feminine didn’t seem to alter anyone’s perception of their sameness. Both had black hair and blue eyes inherited from their parents, but there the resemblance ended. While some might doubt their parentage based on looks, there was no doubting the Kryptonian power that ran through their veins.  
“I’ve never sensed anything so evil,” said Mary. “Not even when Wotan summoned the Unholy.”  
Though Mary was not a sorcerer in any sense of the word, she was psychically sensitive. Understanding the large role psionics played in Kryptonian power had opened her up to a whole new range of abilities. It tended to be focus that made the difference. There was no microscopic, telescopic, or x-ray vision - it was all clairvoyance. This awareness was no doubt what awakened her.  
“It’s not present,” John said. “But it’s close.”  
It was about then that a small rift opened above the city. From out of it came four figures. The malevolent being, whatever it was, was right on the other side.  
Moving at hyperkinetic speed, John found himself next to the rift an instant later. Grabbing hold of the ankh around his neck, John concentrated his will on shielding the rift. There was no way he could stop something as powerful as what was on the other side. He might be able to slow it down long enough for the rift to be closed. If John were convinced of the divinity of God, he might think Satan was on the other side.  
“Close….the damn….portal,” John shouted.  
A man with scraggly red hair and beard turned toward the rift. With a moment’s concentration, the rift closed in on itself. The entity was blocked, but some of its power got through. Enough power, in fact, to shatter John’s shield and send him careening through the air.  
Fortunately, Mary was not willing to allow her brother to come to harm. Unlike her, John had weaknesses, largely because his invulnerability came from altering his density rather than the force field protecting a super-powered Kryptonian. Hybrid status could be such a bitch at times.  
“What the hell was that thing, John?”  
“My guess would be the Uncreator - if it exists.”  
One of the four figures floated in the direction of John and Mary. He had long white hair and a flowing beard. He was covered in layers of dirt and grime. Whatever he was wearing, if anything, was hidden. Worse still, the man reeked of someone who had never taken a bath. To John and Mary’s hypersenses, it was nearly like a physical assault - much worse than anything in the city.  
“That creature is called the Anti-Monitor. It attempted to destroy all reality. Instead, five universes were spared and made into this single universe.”  
John and Mary looked at each other, their eyebrows rising, almost mirror-like.  
::John,:: Mary sent telepathically. ::I bet this is Dad.::  
::Dad,:: John quizzed. ::Like, Kryptonian Dad?::  
::He’s the only one we have in common.::  
Turning to look the man over, John said, “Clark Kent?”  
It was difficult to see facial expressions on the man through the beard, but something happened.  
“How could you know?”  
“We’re your children,” Mary answered.  
“My children? John and Mary?!”  
“That’s us,” said John.  
“But, John, you’re flying!”  
John just shrugged his shoulders and remained quiet. He didn’t want to get into the details now.  
“I should have known! You two look so much alike! Lois will be happy to see you. I have missed you so much!”  
“Why don’t we go to my place,” offered Mary. “We can get you settled in and cleaned up.”

They convened at the townhouse Mary shared with Arion Trevor. By this time, he had been awakened by the reverberation of the Anti-Monitor’s power and had noticed Mary was gone. Now, Arion stood half-dressed in his special mystic white leathers. Only his belt buckle was non-white, featuring the symbol of his power center in silver, four isosceles triangles bisecting with the longer sides converging outward. Arion was the only practitioner of Atlantean magic on Earth.  
“I can’t believe it,” Arion said. “Superman is back.”  
“Yeah, and he sure could use a shower,” John quipped.  
Arion gave John a smirk. He knew his best friend well enough to know that John resented the loss of his parents to some other universe and that he worried it might affect his relationship with Mary. In fact, Arion was the only person John had ever trusted with his sister - this despite her being completely invulnerable to physical harm.  
Superman frowned at his son’s behavior. He wasn’t stupid, though. During his time in the Void, Superman had come to realize just how powerful his Kryptonian mind was. It had been necessary to hone his razor-sharp intellect merely to survive the constant onslaught by the Anti-Monitor. Now that he had time to think about what his children had gone through, Superman knew that there must be some issues of abandonment. It didn’t matter that it was beyond his control. Those kinds of emotions rarely made sense.  
“John,” began Superman. “You and I should have a talk. Maybe you can help me cut my hair and trim this beard. Although it looks like you could use a haircut yourself.”  
John rolled his eyes at that comment. He had long ago foregone the idea of short hair. It flowed down his back in waves, with feathers interlaced in a few small braids.  
“No. No haircut for me,” said John. “This is ceremonial. It’s part of my Lakota name.”  
“Lakota name? Are you Indian now?”  
“I’m part of the tribe. I helped them out with a problem.”  
“Did they give you powers? In those feathers, maybe? I wouldn’t think the ankh came from the Lakota.”  
John glanced down at the ankh. “This is...I found it. It works more like a focus. The source of my power is me, because I’m a hybrid Kryptonian.  
“Anyway, Mary has a special razor that can cut through your hair. Scissors, too.”  
“No, hon,” Mary interrupted. “I left them at your place last time you gave me a haircut.”  
John nodded. “I remember.”  
“Why don’t you take Dad back to your apartment to get him cleaned up. And maybe...the other one who looks just like Dad? I’ll take care of Mom and the redhead.”  
“OK. Follow me.”

The flight to John’s place was silent. In short order, they arrived at a rather distinctive apartment building. Much of its surface was covered with solar panels. That stood out in New York City.  
“We could fly in at super-speed,” said Superman. “Just tell us which apartment is yours.”  
“No need,” John replied. “I’m not a super-hero.”  
“Then how do you explain your powers to people?”  
John was slightly amused. In Superman’s entire career, the only people with superpowers were the costumed heroes and villains. With a few rare exceptions, secret identities were always maintained. Infinity, Inc. had blown that away when most of its members opted to go public with their true names. That the next step could be taken - no costumed identity - was a difficult concept for the Man of Tomorrow.  
“Let’s go inside. I’ll explain.”  
John told his father how, years ago when he and Mary had given up any hope of seeing their father again, they decided to go public with their true natures. Ironically, though no one had guessed Clark Kent was Superman, no one was really shocked. It made sense and most wondered why they hadn’t put things together sooner. Now that everything was out in the open, John and Mary had no reason not to use their powers publicly.  
Superman frowned. “Are you sure that was wise?”  
“Yes. I don’t believe in secrets. It breeds distrust and gives some people power over others.”  
“What’s all this noise out here,” asked a naked Hylas as he entered from the bedroom.  
“Look who’s back,” John said.  
Walking over to Superman, Hylas took a close look. “This is Superman.”  
Looking over at the other figure. “Superboy of Earth-Prime. Where’s Luthor and your mom?”  
“With Mary.”  
“You know me,” Superman asked.  
“Sure. Hylas Trevor.”  
“Hylas? You’re roommates?”  
“No,” John answered. “This is my place. Hylas is just visiting me.”  
Hylas walked over next to John and put an arm around his lover. “I practically live here, though, when I’m not in Themyscira fighting back demons.”  
Superman visibly gulped and a silence stretched between them.  
Finally, Superboy broke it.  
“How’d you two meet,” asked Earth-Prime’s Boy of Steel.  
“His Mom is Wonder Woman,” John answered. “Well, at least she was until she became a goddess and Queen of the Amazons.”  
“Diana is a goddess,” Superman asked.  
“Yeah,” Hylas answered. “After that Crisis thing, Mom and Dad showed up as gods. She said the Olympians gave them the gift of godhood to make up for their losses. Then they spent some time trying to figure out how they still existed. Since they didn’t have a new past in that reality they guessed this universe must still exist. Mom and Dad did some exploring and found their way back home.”  
“Then the universes - none of them were destroyed?”  
“Five survived. They were used as a template for that new universe. I don’t know what happened to the substance of those universes. Physics is right about matter and energy not being able to be created or destroyed. It’s eternal.”  
“Alex might have some ideas,” said Superboy. “He’s something unusual. By the way, mine and Alex’s universes were... destroyed. They weren’t among the five that survived. So where did we come from?”  
Hylas shrugged. “I don’t know. You’re Kryptonian. There’s no doubt about that. We’d probably actually have to travel to that other universe to see how you fit in there.”  
“Anyway,” said John. “You guys are here to get cleaned up. Why don’t we head into the bathroom and get rid of all that hair and then get you clean.”  
Stroking his beard, Superman said, “I think I like this.”  
“Maybe, but it’s disgustingly filthy. You can always grow it back again.”  
“No. I think a trim for the beard and hair and then use boiling water to completely disinfect the hair.”  
“Well---”  
John was cut off by the sound of someone buzzing to be let up.  
“I’ll take care of them,” Hylas offered. “You get the door.”  
John nodded and went to the intercom. “Yeah?”  
“Let me up, man,” the voice answered. “I need to talk.”  
Sighing, John pressed a button that gave the other access to the elevator to his apartment. In short order, a light-skinned black teenage boy emerged.  
“What’s the problem, Wayne?”  
The boy settled himself down on the couch. “I told Dad I had a boyfriend. He flipped out. Then he blamed you. Anyway, it was way too hostile in Gotham for me so I figured I’d head over here. Can I, um, stay tonight?”  
John’s eyes narrowed as he looked at Wayne. This conflict with his father was nothing new. Wayne just happened to be a lot like John, and somehow his father believed John was behind it all. Not that Dick Grayson disliked John, but he didn’t approve of most of his life.  
“Of course, Wayne. You’re always welcome. But I think there’ll be some guests here tonight so you can crash in my room.”  
“Guests? In the other bedroom and the couch?”  
“I think so.”  
Wayne shrugged. It didn’t bother him to share a bed with John. “Who is it?”  
“My father.”  
“Kent? What’d he have a fight with Inza or something?”  
“Not Kent. Superman.”  
That brought a shocked look across Wayne’s face. To him, Superman was an almost mythical legend who had vanished to save the world a few years before his birth. Imagining Superman actually back in the flesh was a lot to take in.  
“Wow. Where is he?”  
“Bathroom. He’s kind of a mess. Sixteen years of dirt and grime doesn’t come off so easily.”  
“Is your Ma there, too?”  
“She’s with Mary.”  
“Maybe I should just go.”  
John frowned at Wayne. “Don’t be silly. The return of one family doesn’t mean I forget another.”  
“Yeah? So you wouldn’t mind if he came to visit? My boyfriend, I mean?”  
“I guess. Who is he?”  
Wayne shifted a bit and looked down at his feet before quietly saying, “Thor.”  
“Thor! You mean my friend Thor? Holy shit, no wonder Dick was upset!”  
“Man, I thought you’d be on my side!”  
“Hey! I didn’t say I wasn’t. I dated Arcadia when I was your age and she’s in the same age range as Thor. That doesn’t mean I can’t understand why your father is upset.”  
“What’s going on,” Hylas asked as he exited the bathroom.  
A brief explanation was given as to why Wayne was there and that he was dating a god from ancient myth. Hylas could also relate to such things given that his mother’s people were all thousands of years old and he’d had trysts with Amazons.  
Switching to telepathic mode, Hylas said, ::Just let it go. You and I both know Thor’s tastes for the young ones. Wayne is mature enough that he’ll make Thor lose interest soon enough.::  
John simply nodded to Hylas.  
“Hey,” shouted Wayne. “No fair switching to telepathy to talk about me!”  
“No thought passed from me to Hylas,” said John. “Why don’t you get settled in. As soon as Dad and ‘Junior’ are done, we’re going to bed.”  
“Fine.”  
With a half-pout, half-smirk on his face, Wayne stalked off to John’s bedroom.  
“Guess that means no sex tonight,” Hylas commented.  
John shrugged his shoulders.  
“Couldn’t be helped.”  
“I know.”  
John and Hylas settled down on the couch to wait for the two Kryptonians. They suspected it might be a while because it was the first shower either man had in over sixteen years.  
Laying back between Hylas’s legs and in his arms, John drifted off to sleep. In a dream, he saw a woman with skin like alabaster, eyes of coal, and hair of obsidian blackness. She was clad in black leather and wore an ankh around her neck. This somehow resonated with John. Suddenly he knew who she was and he awoke with a start.  
Towering above him was his father. He was shirtless, his hair in a ponytail, and the beard neatly trimmed. Ironically, the shaved and short-haired Superboy looked more like the father John remembered.  
“Dad.”  
Superman smiled down at his son.  
“Bad dream, son?”  
“No, just….odd.”  
“Listen, John, whatever you are, I do love you. I don’t ever want you to think otherwise.”  
John smiled. He hadn’t been at all sure how his father would react to a same-sex relationship. They hadn’t been very close when John was younger, primarily because John had barely manifested even a hint of Kryptonian power. Now he had power, even if it was largely due to magic, and his father had returned. It was nice to hear Superman express his feelings to John.  
“We should go back to Mary’s place and figure out what we’re doing tonight.”  
“Shouldn’t you wake Hylas?”  
“No. Dick Grayson’s son is here. Asleep in my bed, I think. Hylas should stay here with him.”  
A perplexed look crossed the face of the Man of Tomorrow.  
“I would have thought he wouldn’t have children this late in life.”  
“Yeah, well, when he showed up here after you had all disappeared, he was much younger. Dick doesn’t really look much older than me. Maybe ten years or so. Anyway, his son Wayne is fourteen. He tends to come to me whenever he has problems.”  
“What’s wrong?”  
“Um, he’s dating the Norse god of thunder. Dick doesn’t care for it. I know Thor so I can’t say it’s a great idea but in principle I have no problem.”  
“You don’t think fourteen is too young?”  
John shrugged, carefully extricating himself from Hylas’s arms and standing up.  
“Well, when I was fifteen, I met an Amazon named Arcadia. We spent a summer together, and we dated a few years later. But she had to go back to Themyscira when Oreana was declared the new Wonder Woman.”  
Superman didn’t say anything in response. He was somewhat confused. He thought John was gay but here he was speaking of a relationship with a woman.  
“Dad, I think we should hook up with Mom again at Mary’s place. If I know her she’ll want you two with her and send the boys with me.”  
John’s father nodded his assent. They spoke with Superboy and then the three Kryptonians were out the window and on the way to Mary and Arion’s home.  
Had John glanced down he would have seen the form of a strong, youthful appearing woman wearing a new version of the Wonder Woman costume. She was not, however, the redhead he might have expected, nor even one of dark hair to signify Diana or Hippolyta. Instead, she was an all-too familiar blonde who John knew quite intimately. It would have to wait for another time to discover how Arcadia came to be the new Wonder Woman.

 

John lay on the beach in Virginia next to his best friend, Arion. Both had always been orphans to the super-heroics of their parents, but this time it was literally true. There had been a Crisis three years earlier from which the entire population of costumed heroes and villains disappeared. To date, only two had returned, and no one knew if any others would make it home again.  
Dick Grayson and Helena Wayne told a tale of five universes merging into a new one with a singular history. In that new history, Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman and Robin didn’t begin their super-heroic careers until the 1980’s. This left the Golden Age versions of those heroes, as well as their progeny, in uncertain territory. Dick and Helena literally didn’t exist.  
None of this mattered when a wave of anti-matter came their way and put an end to their time in that world. Both were quite surprised to find that their ‘deaths’ had simply led them home, and in the prime of their lives.  
The non-costumed children of the super-heroes were now all orphaned and in need of homes. Among them were John and Mary Kent, Arion and Hylas Trevor, Anubis Hall, and Jay and Annabelle Chambers. It was decided that Helena would take in the Trevors and Dick would care for the Kents. Annabelle decided to go on a tour of the world to use her healing gifts to benefit those in need. Jay followed her to make sure she remained safe. Anubis simply disappeared one night, off to delve into the darker aspects of magic.  
It was a considerable change for these four from Virginia to take up residence in Gotham City. John had a very relaxed, laid back personality that tended to conflict with the very structured lifestyle of Dick Grayson. On top of that, Dick decided to adopt the identity of Batman, now more confident in his abilities and certain he could fill his mentor’s shoes. He also met and fell in love with Jacinda Watters and married her within a year. The presence of two teenagers in a house of newlyweds led to additional conflict.  
During that time John discovered that he had indeed inherited full Kryptonian powers. Up until then he only had enhanced physical attributes, but nothing extraordinary. Now he was able to fly, lift very heavy objects, and could alter his density to become either intangible or diamond hard. As well, he came to understand the psionic nature of the alleged enhanced senses of Kryptonians. None of it was physical. It was all psychic.  
Now that school was out, John and Arion took a trip down near Metropolis to visit the beach. It was while here that a beautiful blonde woman dropped out of the sky wearing winged sandals. Arion recognized her instantly.  
“Arcadia? How did you get here?”  
The Amazon smiled warmly at Arion.  
“Your mother and father have returned,” she said. “They are allowing all Amazons a chance to see the world. As the first to have this opportunity, I was asked to bring the news to you and Hylas. I have seen your brother already.”  
Arion was stunned.  
“M-my parents? They’re back!”  
“Yes, Arion. Do you need transportation to Themyscira?”  
“No….no, thank you. I can get there on my own.”  
This was all very curious to John. He wondered if the other universe was still suffering from waves of anti-matter and had recently taken Diana and Steve Trevor. Something about that didn’t sound quite right. John could understand Wonder Woman being at the forefront of any battle, but why would a man in his late 60’s be doing so?  
“John,” Arion said. “I have to go. I’m not sure if you can be there.”  
“No prob,” John responded. “Give them my regards.”  
Arion nodded vaguely, as if only half aware of the response. Then he pulled out a scroll from his backpack and recited it, which caused him to rise into the air. It didn’t take long for him to zoom out of sight.  
“I guess it’s just you and me,” John said to the Amazon.  
Arcadia looked down at John and smiled.  
“John is your name,” she asked. “John Kent, Arion’s close friend?”  
“That’s me.”  
“I am Arcadia. I have heard of your family, John Kent.”  
John shrugged his shoulders.  
“Tell me, John Kent. Do you know much of the world?”  
“A fair amount, I suppose. Why?”  
“I am here to see the world. Perhaps you could show some of it to me.”  
This piqued John’s interests. He was only supposed to be down in Virginia for two weeks. When he didn’t return, Dick was sure to be very upset. And yet, John somehow didn’t care. This beautiful woman before him was far more interesting and the idea of leaving with her to explore some of the world intrigued him.  
“I would be more than happy to be your guide.”  
“I do not simply want a guide,” Arcadia said. “I also wish a companion.”  
That definitely sounded like a great idea to John. It had been a while since he’d been with anyone, male or female. Arcadia was sure to be something different, being powerful and very likely to have never had sex with a man. It seemed as though Arcadia wanted to change all that.  
“Alright, then. Let’s go.”

“What do you mean, John isn’t here,” Arcadia asked of Hylas.  
“Look, he’s gone to his sister’s place. Important family business. Why are you dressed like Wonder Woman?”  
Arcadia’s stern face dropped into sadness.  
“I am sorry to report that sister Oreana has perished. Just a few short hours ago the evil under the island had a tremendous surge of power which allowed them to break free onto Themyscira. Oreana courageously gave her life to put the beasts back under. I was named Wonder Woman and sent here to inform you and Arion.”  
The news stunned Hylas. Oreana had been chosen above all Amazons to serve in ‘Man’s World’ following the disappearances of both Queen Hippolyta and Princess Diana. The naming had been approved by the only surviving heirs, Hylas and Arion, though neither could truly participate in Amazon leadership. Yet Oreana had proven her mettle over and over, showing herself truly worthy to bear the shield of Wonder Woman. She had been crucial in the battle against the Unholy as well as many other battles. There were some who believed she was a superior Wonder Woman to Diana. Hylas numbered among those who felt that way, as did Diana herself when she returned to this world. It was for that reason that now Queen Diana endorsed Oreana’s role and allowed her to roam free to protect the world.  
“Gods,” said Hylas. “I never thought it would happen. But I think I know what gave Themyscira’s evil a boost.”  
“Oh, really?”  
Hylas explained the situation with the Anti-Monitor and the return of Superman.  
“If the evil has come this close it will seek other avenues of entrance. We must be ready to face it. It may even be able to send forth minions to prepare the way.”  
“Yeah. Look, I should go to Themyscira, but there’s a slight problem. Dick Grayson’s son is in the bedroom. I know he’s meta but I don’t feel comfortable leaving him alone.”  
“I have to find John.”  
“Fine, but take Wayne with you.”  
Arcadia gave Hylas a strange look but she wasn’t prepared to argue the point. Even though Hylas was godlike in power, Arcadia was hardly powerless against him. When the gods vanished, power in the universe drifted to the closest available outlets. Some of it came to Amazons, who developed a variety of unique attributes, though few actually became gods. For her part, Arcadia developed a close bond with nature which granted her certain healing and sensory abilities. This had even led to her becoming the adopted daughter of Queen M’Dilla of the Elven city of K’en Dira in place of the mind lost Princess Saffron.  
Nodding her head, Arcadia walked into the bedroom. Hylas was out the window and gone within moments. He knew there would be much to prepare for in Oreana’s send-off.

I don’t really know what to make of this place. I saw the five universes merge into one. I even understood, somehow, the technology the Monitor used to do it. So how could Earth-2 be sitting here acting as though nothing more happened other than the loss of most of its superhumans? What exactly did happen at the end of the Crisis and how could he and Superboy even exist if their own worlds did not?  
“There is a possibility that could explain your existence,” said Arion. “A few years back, a David Knight showed up.”  
“Who is David Knight,” Superman asked.  
“Exactly! That’s what we all wondered. We did some checking. David is Ted Knight’s son. This was even confirmed when Ted showed up. The only problem was that none of us remembered him.”  
“How does that explain us,” Superboy asked.  
“In that other universe, Ted’s reality was such that he had two sons, David and Jack. They were never on this Earth. In fact, Jack Knight still doesn’t ‘exist’ here but David does because he’s inextricably linked to Starman. Not only does he exist here now but I actually have memories of knowing him my entire life - and it’s the same for him, even though we both know things didn’t happen that way.”  
“Is it the timeline that’s changed,” Alex asked. “Or just memories?”  
“A little of both,” John answered. “There are existing records, but it’s hard to say whether or not they were always there.”  
“Let’s look into it.”

The redhead made her way across the room and through the doorway. The next room was almost completely dark. Only a computer monitor provided any light. A lone figure sat before it, tapping away at a keyboard. There was no outward sign that he had noticed her presence but she knew he had.  
Finally reaching him, she lay a hand on his shoulder. He visibly flinched, but then calmed. Human touch was usually unsettling to him but she was one of the rare exceptions.  
What seemed to be flames reached out from each of their heads. They touched, merged, and extinguished. It was only then that he turned to look at her.  
{Jessica. Something happened?}  
Jessica nodded her head.  
|Yes, Ben. Superman has returned.|  
{Something followed? Oreana?}  
|Yes, I think there’s a connection.|  
Ben turned back to the computer and used it to dial up a phone number.  
“Hello,” came a voice from the other side.  
Not used to physically speaking, Ben said nothing.  
There was a pause at the other end. Then, “Ben?”  
“Mary. The thing that came through. Oreana….it’s somehow related.”  
“What about Oreana?”  
Leaning toward the microphone, Jessica said, “There was a surge of evil on Themyscira when your father came through. Oreana has suffered for it.”  
“Jessica? Jess, we thought something happened to you!”  
“I can’t talk now, Mary.”  
The connection was dropped. The pertinent information had been passed on and Ben and Jessica had no further interest in conversation.  
Ben McNider and Jessica Reyes were both products of Dr. Love’s Helix Project. In Jessica’s case, being the granddaughter of Danette Reilly, the second Firebrand, practically guaranteed she would develop superpowers. There was an adverse effect on her, turning her into one of the Helix-unique flaming telepaths. Ben was also a flaming telepath but he and all the others lacked the degree of control needed to maintain sanity. All that anyone could deduce is that her natural affinity to fire somehow protected her.  
Ben and most flaming telepaths weren’t so lucky. It was maddening to be around people. Thoughts were extremely intrusive. Physical contact made it worse, and Ben sometimes felt he was losing himself in the other person. Of course, no one had known what had been done to him. Ben spent most of his life believed to be autistic. His affinity for computers made it seem like he was an idiot savant. That wasn’t really the case, and only after the JSA disappeared did the truth become apparent.  
The children of missing heroes were frequently drawn to one another, almost as if to validate their existence. When the wandering Jay and Annabelle Chambers came across Ben, the truth came out. Annabelle’s empathic/healing abilities allowed her to see that Ben’s mind was in perfect working order. It was only the effect that other minds had on him that made him seem mentally ill. Managing to briefly suppress his powers, Annabelle enabled Ben to be released from the hospital and moved into his father’s home. Despite all the help, it was Jessica who had the most profound effect on his life.

In the depths of space, a red sun spins, several planets orbiting it. The inhabitants of one of its planets referred to this star as Rao, named after one of its mythical deities. Of course, the inhabitants of that world had died over a century earlier, victims of an unstable core that blew the planet to pieces. It’s lone survivor was sent hurtling through space toward Earth, where he was raised as a human. All that remained of the great Krypton was a ring of debris circling Rao like an asteroid belt.  
It was strange, then, to see a small, one-person spacecraft approach the ring. Edging closer and closer, the craft finally vanished from sight. Closer inspection showed that the ship had, in fact, passed through an illusion and fell into the atmosphere of the very much intact Krypton.  
The ship passed through a green barrier with ease, setting down in the Jewel Mountains. Out of it came a dark-haired young man. He had a grim look on his face. This was exactly what he feared. No one on Daxam had believed Lar when he told them he had caught a brief glimpse of an intact Krypton. Resolving to prove he wasn’t deluded, Lar Gand took a one-man starcraft to the Raon System.  
The Daxamites had breathed a huge sigh of relief when they thought Krypton had been destroyed. Millennia ago, the Kryptonians had gone on a rampage. Many planets had been lain waste, with entire races vanishing from the universe forever. A group of rebels opposed them, teaming with several other races to put an end to the Kryptonians Reign of Terror. Together, they developed a genetic plague that bound Kryptonians forever to Krypton. Leaving the planet meant certain death.  
Those Kryptonians who opposed the rampage found a new homeworld for themselves on the planet Daxam. Knowing that the threat of their tremendous power was great in future generations, the Daxamites enlisted their allies to develop an even more extensive plague. Out of this came an extreme allergy to lead. The only cure for it was a substance native only to Krypton - kryptonite. That provided reasonable assurance that a cure for lead poisoning would never be found.  
As Lar thought about these things he was approached from above by a flying Kryptonian. He wore a military uniform, very similar to those Lar had seen pictured in history files. In fact, Lar was quite certain he recognized the man.  
“General Zod,” Lar spoke. His Kryptonese was of a very different dialect than that of present-day Krypton but it was enough for the Kryptonian to understand.  
A sneer crossed the general’s face and his eyes began to glow bright red.  
“I do not recognize you,” Zod boomed. “I can only conclude that you descend from one of the traitors. It’s clear that you are a slightly modified Kryptonian.”  
“Lar Gand.”  
Zod almost leapt upon Gand. It was clear that he held a deep hatred of the Gand name.  
“Pel Gand. I knew that traitor. He had served by my side until he turned into a simpering fool.”  
The name was known to Lar. It was his great-great grandfather. Lar had met him once or twice but there was no real connection between them other than blood. Familial bonds on Daxam rarely lasted beyond two generations, largely because of their long lifespans.  
“I hardly knew him. But why the deception? You’re still all here, and no one was going to come here to bother you.”  
“Not all of us are here.”  
“My scanners showed a biological percentage that’s consistent with population growth and perhaps a few deaths.”  
A vicious grin crossed Zod’s face.  
“Oh, but there are two things your people didn’t know. One, we were able to manufacture a floating city that was crafted out of the very stuff of Krypton. Zor-L and his wife headed that colony. He and Jor-L genetically engineered their pre-borns to grant them an immunity to the genetic plague. It’s true that it resulted in a lethal allergy to kryptonite, but then we sent them away anyway.”  
“Two Kryptonians are free in the universe?”  
“Three, as well as hybrid children. Both of those children are immune to lead and kryptonite, though only one of them has full access to her power. The boy is quite powerful in his own way. I do believe the hybridization process will make for a much stronger race of Kryptonians.”  
“Where could they possibly breed with--Earth! You sent them to Earth?!”  
“Of course. We were already there, though when Kryptonians last went there they had no concept of their power. They did have the technology to advance those subhumans in such a way that they could breed with us. It is those hybrids who will see Kryptonians reborn at full strength.”  
A thought had barely crossed Lar’s mind before Zod caught on to it.  
“You won’t be leaving Krypton, boy. Not alive, anyway.”  
“You don’t want to do this,” Lar sputtered. “They know I came here. If something happens to me Daxam and the GLC will be on to you. They might not stop with exile next time, especially if they think you can escape.”  
“By the time they get here it will be too late. We are more than ready to take on your people and the Green Lantern Corps.”


End file.
